MERIDEN, Conn. — Gov. Ned Lamont and state Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday, June 12, for the start of the second construction phase of a major, three-phase project to reconfigure the highway interchange connecting Interstate Highway 91, Interstate Highway 691 and U.S. Route 15 in Meriden.
The interchange has been noted as one of the most congested and outdated highway corridors in Connecticut. The project, which is being overseen by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, is designed with the goal of reducing congestion and improving safety by eliminating dangerous waving points, correcting roadway geometry and adding multi-lane exits.
Upon completion in 2030, the project will see the replacement and rehabilitation of several bridges in the corridor and the addition of travel lanes to improve traffic flow.
“This interchange is consistently one of the most congested and dangerous sections of highway in Connecticut, and when President Biden announced his plans to make historic investments to improve the nation’s infrastructure, I had this exact project in Meriden in mind as a priority that can benefit most,” Lamont said.
“Reconfiguring this highway to improve safety and traffic flow is directly connected with our ability to encourage businesses to locate, expand and grow jobs in the region because it serves as a critical link for passengers and freight connecting critical corridors between New York and Massachusetts,” he continued. “This is a major, multi-year project that is going to take some time to complete, but I think we can all agree that it absolutely needs to be done. I especially want to thank President Biden, Federal Highway Administration Administrator (Shailen) Bhatt, Connecticut’s outstanding Congressional delegation and our state lawmakers for partnering with us on this effort to get shovels in the ground and make this much-needed project a reality.”
The project is supported by a combination of funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) and state funding authorized by the Lamont administration and the Connecticut General Assembly. This becomes one of the largest projects underway in Connecticut to receive support from President Joe Biden’s landmark law investing in the nation’s infrastructure.
“The I-91, I-691, Route 15 interchange is one of the most congested and painstaking areas for Connecticut travelers,” Eucalitto said. “We’re going to fix the interchange to reduce congestion and improve safety for generations. Thank you to Federal Highway Administrator Bhatt, Connecticut’s federal delegation, Governor Lamont, and the state legislature for the continued support.”
The ceremony was attended by Bhatt, as well as several state and local officials, including Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, Mayor Kevin Scarpati and others.
“I am pleased to be here today on behalf of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration to celebrate the start of the second phase of construction of this critically important highway interchange for drivers in Connecticut who rely on this corridor to get to their destinations,” Bhatt said. “Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are committed to getting things done for the American people, creating opportunities that improve safety and quality of life, and making sure federal dollars are helping to modernize our transportation infrastructure all over the country.”
Bysiewicz, Blumenthal and Murphy echoed Lamont’s comments saying that the project was sorely needed and will bring major improvements to the infrastructure for the state.
“Updating the existing I-91, I-691, Route 15 interchange in Meriden will benefit our state by making travel safer and reducing traffic,” Hayes said. “This redevelopment is the latest example of funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act being used to modernize highways across Connecticut. I look forward to continuing to work with state and local partners to advance additional transportation projects.”
Congressman Jim Himes added that he is excited that funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping to fund the project and that the project will help alleviate traffic and “save our community time and money by allowing commuters to get to work, students to school, and parents home to their families without wasting time idling on the interstate.”
The project’s first phase began in early 2023 and is aimed at repairing bridges, adding a lane of traffic to I-91 and making related road improvements including:
● Realigning and widening the ramp from I-691 eastbound to I-91 northbound (Exit1A old Exit 11) to two lanes to meet traffic demand.
● Bridge replacement due to the proposed ramp realignment and widening.
● Adding an auxiliary lane on I-91 northbound to relieve congestion caused by a steep uphill grade.
● Bridge widening due to the added lane.
This second phase includes:
● Adding a new two-lane exit ramp from Route 15 northbound to I-91 northbound to reduce traffic congestion on the Exit 68 N-E ramp.
● Closing the existing Exit 17 ramp from I-91 northbound to Route 15 northbound and re-routing traffic to Exit 16 to provide a two-lane exit ramp with a right-side traffic merge onto Route 15 northbound.
● Widening the existing Exit 68W ramp from Route 15 northbound to I-691 westbound to two lanes.
● Reconfiguring the acceleration and deceleration lanes to provide adequate traffic
weaving distances.
Proposed improvements for a third phase include:
● A new two-lane exit ramp from Route 15 southbound to I-91 southbound to reduce traffic congestion on the existing Exit 67 ramp.
● A new two-lane I-91 southbound ramp to Route 15 southbound to reduce traffic congestion on the existing Exit 17 ramp.
● Widening the ramp from I-691 eastbound to Route 15 southbound (Exit 10) to two lanes.
● Widening the ramp from I-91 southbound to I-691 westbound (Exit 18) to two lanes.
Funding for the project comes from a combination of state and federal resources.
The cost of the first phase is $80 million, entirely funded by the state. The second phase is supported by $50 million in state funding and $200 million federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It is expected that a third phase will also be supported by a similar combination of state and federal funding. The expenditure for all three phases combined is anticipated to be more than $500 million.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
